Daniel Craig pays tribute to Broccoli family following ‘James Bond’ takeover
In the wake of the Broccoli family ceding creative control of the James Bond franchise to Amazon MGM Studios, Daniel Craig has paid tribute to the famed producers he worked with on five pictures.
Craig worked closely with Barbara Broccoli and her half-brother, Michael G Wilson, for 15 years. Their relationship began with 2006’s Casino Royale, progressed through 2008’s Quantum of Solace, 2012’s Skyfall, and 2015’s Spectre, and culminated with 2021’s No Time to Die.
In a statement given to The Hollywood Reporter, Craig was full of praise for the pair. The actor said: “My respect, admiration and love for Barbara and Michael remain constant and undiminished. I wish Michael a long, relaxing (and well-deserved) retirement and whatever ventures Barbara goes on to do, I know they will be spectacular, and I hope I can be part of them.”
The bombshell announcement that the Broccolis would no longer control the superspy franchise hit Hollywood hard on 20th February, with fans and industry insiders feverishly wondering what it meant for the series’ future. The first port of call for Amazon MGM will likely be casting a new Bond for the big screen, as it has now been four years since Craig bowed out with No Time to Die.
Notably, the Broccolis and Eon Productions have always been circumspect about the Bond intellectual property and have refused to flood the market with spinoff films and television shows. This policy is unlikely to stay the same with a corporate giant like Amazon in charge of such a lucrative brand.
Whatever the case, the Broccoli family shepherded one of the world’s most famous franchises for more than 60 years, and both Barbara and Wilson felt the time was right to pass the baton to someone else. “My life has been dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed to Michael and me by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli,” Barbara stated.
She continued, “I have had the honour of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry.”
Wilson added, “Therefore, Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future.”
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